Those two words. Sefina’s heart skipped a beat, and her wine-red eyes instantly locked onto those two words.
She almost held her breath, her fingertips trembling slightly as they gently brushed over the ancient ink of the words “magic crest” on the yellowed page, then she eagerly read on.
“Curse imprint… ‘The magic crest is a curse engraved by the magic crest, a unique creation of Demonkind’… ‘Magic crest’?!”
Sefina’s pupils suddenly constricted, and a corner of her long-sealed memories was forcibly pried open.
That fierce battle with Ophidoro, the short staff in her opponent’s hand with a dark purple crystal embedded at its tip, broke through her defense at the last moment, and the instant it coldly and shamefully touched her lower abdomen…
The magic crest was branded like that at that time!
That’s right, this is it! This is the ancient record that contains information about the magic crest!
A mixture of anger and intense shame rushed to her heart.
As expected, the culprit was that damn demon tool! Ophidoro used that evil demon tool to launch a sneak attack, and that’s how she left this curse on her that made her want to die of embarrassment!
While Sefina was both ashamed and angry, a surprise like a faint flame flared up.
Since this book so clearly records the origin of the magic crest, then later… could it also record a method to solve or suppress it?
Could it be that after years of fruitless searching, she was actually going to find the dawn of liberation in this Church’s ancient record?
Sefina forced down her surging emotions, her fingertips quickly and carefully tracing line after line of ancient text, her eyes greedily absorbing more information, hoping to find a way to break the magic crest in this book.
“The book records that the magic crest is not unchanging; it will ‘grow’ over time, and is divided into three forms.”
“The first stage…”
Sefina read aloud softly, her gaze falling on the detailed diagram attached beside it.
That intricate pattern with a specific regularity was exactly the same as the magic crest that first appeared on her lower abdomen in her memory!
“The one who is engraved can still temporarily alleviate the effects of its outbreaks through their own will and actions.”
The initial stage of the magic crest can be solved by oneself…
Sefina’s ears felt slightly warm; this description indeed matched the situation during the time when the magic crest first descended.
Although it was equally shameful and infuriating, at least… she could barely cope with it on her own.
However, the record immediately following on the page made her heart sink:
“However, the magic crest at this stage is not static; it will gradually change over time. Its frequency of outbreaks will increase, and the ‘self-satisfaction’ needed for relief will become increasingly difficult…”
Exactly the same!
Sefina’s heartbeat skipped a beat.
Frequent outbreaks, increasingly difficult to satisfy oneself…
This was simply a precise portrayal of her recent state! Especially the feeling of restlessness and helplessness in her room yesterday, it was truly despairing.
And… and at that time she actually… actually desired…
Desiring contact with her own student, these thoughts were truly too dirty and filthy! Too contrary to teacher’s ethics!
Could it be that she had unknowingly crossed that line?
An ominous premonition suddenly spread, making Sefina’s heart beat faster.
But at this moment she desperately shook her head; she should… probably not have fully entered the second stage yet…
Sefina couldn’t wait to read on, wanting to get more information.
The description of the second stage came into view:
“The second stage: the magic crest’s Runes will undergo significant changes, the pattern will deepen, and the structure will become more complex and entangled…”
Sefina’s gaze quickly swept to the second diagram beside it; the Runes were indeed much more complex and dense than the first stage, exuding a deeper eeriness.
She subconsciously recalled the vague changes she had seen in a hurried glance yesterday…
It seemed there was a slight difference? But at that time she was too ashamed and flustered to see the details clearly.
Sefina took a deep breath and forced herself to continue reading.
“When the magic crest grows to a certain extent in the second stage, its nature will undergo a fundamental change.”
“The engraved one will find it difficult to obtain satisfaction by themselves; the magic crest will make the engraved one crave external contact, such as intervention from others.”
What…?!
It was as if a thunderclap exploded in Sefina’s mind; her wine-red eyes instantly widened to the extreme, and all the blood in her body seemed to rush to her head in that instant, then quickly receded, leaving a cold numbness.
Craving… contact with others? Unable to solve it by herself?!
AHHHHHHHHH!!!!!
Her inner world was swept by a massive wave of shame and terror.
If… if what this ancient record says is true, then isn’t she currently in, or about to slide into, that terrifying stage?
That stage where she needs… needs others… to…?!
AHHHHHHHHH!!!!!
How could this be?! This absolutely must not happen!
Sefina’s dignity as a teacher, and the long-tightened defense line of her rationality, both trembled violently and even collapsed in the face of this possibility.
She simply couldn’t imagine, if it really came to that, how she would face her students, how she would maintain that crumbling barrier of teacher’s ethics?
This kind of thing absolutely must not happen!
Absolutely not!!!!
In her panic, Sefina’s gaze once again fell on the second magic crest diagram on the desk.
The direction of the Runes, the connection methods of several key nodes…
It seemed that compared to the impression from her fleeting glance yesterday, there were indeed some subtle differences?
Her own magic crest didn’t seem to have completely turned into the form shown in the diagram yet?
She should, perhaps, possibly, probably still have time?
A faint hope struggled to emerge.
Perhaps, she was still at the end of the first stage, transitioning to the second stage, but had not yet fully transformed.
She must confirm it!
She must carefully examine the current specific form of the magic crest on her lower abdomen and compare it with the diagram in the ancient record!
Sefina suddenly closed the ancient record and held it to her chest. She hurriedly looked around; the library was quiet and empty, with only tall bookshelves casting silent shadows.
Good, there should be no one in the library, and that corner over there looked very secluded.
Go there; there she should be able to check the state of the magic crest and compare it with the second stage in the ancient record.
Sefina stood up and walked toward that secluded corner deep in the library. There was a row of heavy bookshelves as a barrier, forming a small dead corner.
Sefina’s heart pounded wildly in her chest, each beat resonating with shame.
Her cheeks were already astonishingly hot, and her earlobes were slightly red. She could even feel herself trembling involuntarily; after all, she was a bit nervous now.
Sefina slipped into that hidden corner, leaned her back against the cold bookshelf, and slowly reached her hand toward the belt of her Nun’s habit.
The ancient record was carefully placed aside and opened, with the second magic crest diagram facing her.
Sefina took a deep breath, tried to calm herself, and then gently lifted the hem of her clothes, wanting to take a peek at the magic crest on her lower abdomen.